Founded in 2003, WE&S received final IRS 501-c-3 approval in 2007.  Administered by skilled volunteers, all highly regarded in the Lesbian community, WE&S sponsors a growing range of workshops, spaces and projects that expand possibilities for women and Lesbians— our primary mission.  Each addresses a real need in our Lesbian and women’s lives.

Our oldest sponsored Project, Maize Magazine, has been serving our community for 25 years.  Outland was founded in 1989, ALIC in 1998 and the Media Project in 2006.  Most of our other Projects are rapidly growing toddlers.

30 women are actively involved in our range of Projects~ all volunteers who donate skills and time.  We each bring different skills and skill levels and we share skill-building.

All our Projects and Events are offered on a sliding scale with an offer whatever you can option.  In our experience women donate generously, whatever their economic status. That generosity is at the heart of our success and growth.

Want to Participate?

Energy.  We invite your questions and welcome your energetic or financial support. See a Project that you find exciting?  We’d love to have you join us in unfolding its potential.  We’d love to add your vision to ours.

Have a Project or Creativity of your own?  Part of our mission is to make our equipment and knowledge available to other women.

Donations.  We have accomplished small miracles with an impressively tiny amount of money.  Laugh, we are women of big vision with resources just sprouting to match.

Most all of our impressive array of equipment has been donated.  We welcome your equipment and supplies donations.

Please consider what financial donation you are able to offer to promote and expand these wondrous Projects.  You many designate your donation for particular Projects or to our General Pot of Abundance for distribution as needed to Programs.  Although we have already been designated as a primary beneficiary in three wills, we have accomplished our wonders so far on several small donations.  

Building Materials.  We in particular in the Spring of 2008 need donations or loans to cover advance costs of our delicious buffet of 40 Outlandish Workshops and to cover cost of building materials for the wood and adobe cabins we are building during the Workshop Season (about $5000 each for basic materials).  

We need more living spaces at Outland in order to make the land and opportunities available to more women.  These living spaces are small and beautiful, constructed aligned with our Simple Living philosophy.  Outland herself is a unique opportunity for women to come to regenerate, listen to ourSelves, create and heal.  In a word, Connect—with the Earth, Self, other Women, and Spirit.  We also believe that Connection is fundamental to creative expression and wholeness/ healing.  Part of our mission is to make this opportunity available to as many women as possible for as long as they wish to be here.

The cabins we are building in the summers of 2008 and 2009 will then be used to make both the land and future Workshops accessible to even more women.  Rental donations from the cabins will be used to repay building materials loans on a 2-year or other arrangement contract.

If our Workshop model continues to work as well as projected, we will tweak and offer a similar Workshop Series in 2009, again to focus on small house Construction Principles & Skills, Connection, Creativity and Wholeness/ Healing.

Tweaking as needed yet again, current plans are 2010 construction of two designated buildings: 1.  Library, Archives & Media Production Studio and 2.  Wholeness & Healing Arts Center.  Both will be beautiful simple adobe mid-sized buildings to house these great projects for a few years until space needs and resources inspire structures with greater size and more architectural artistry.

Immediate Expenses to Fund

We, of course, do expect the Workshops themselves to generate income to cover most expenses related to holding the Workshop Program.  The Workshops are not designed to raise the money for actual construction expenses.  Ongoing rental income from the new cabins will eventually pay for building costs and provide seed money for future expansion.

Meantime, immediate and specific Workshop start-up, advance and prep costs to fund by loan or donation are:

A.      Must Do

o        Travel expenses for Facilitators who have volunteered their skills and time ~ $1500

o        Food & supplies for March, April & May volunteers to prep and hold Workshops ~ $2400  (by June we expect Workshop Participant donations to meet expenses)

o        Materials for workshop cabins ~ $5000 each.  We will build 4-6 cabins depending on resources available.  Materials for two cabins needed by end of March; additional two cabins by end of April; final two cabins by end of May. 

B.     Most Helpful Additional Loans or Donations

o        Donations of any amount to subsidize attendance by low income women.  There are many already registered, including women with chemical and environmental sensitivities who require more particular living arrangements.

o        Materials for recording portions of all 2008 Workshops and to do documentary interviews with as many Facilitators and Attendees as possible ~ $350

o        Commercial washing machine ~ $500

o        Nontoxic beds/ bedding for Workshop participants ~ $800

o        Road repair at Outland ~ $1000

o        Accessibility solar-powered cart, converted from used golf cart ~ $1900

o        Well/ water line repair at Outland (one mile of disintegrating water line) ~ First half $3400; second half $3400

o        Materials for 5 shade/ rain/ wind ramadas for tents ~ $900 each. Frame eventually enclosed as another adobe cabin) ~ $4500

C.        Other

o        Medications and food for Heartfull Giving requests ~ $1000

o        2008 WE&S and Project phone, DSL and utility expenses in donated office at Outland ~ $1200

Your contributions to WE&S touch a great many individuals and ripple out into the homes and communities of each woman.  Your support makes our work possible.